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MBTi
'Information about personality types' Personality typing is a tool with many uses. It's especially notable for it's helpfulness in the areas of growth and self-development. Learning and applying the theories of personality type can be a powerful and rewarding experience, if it is used as a tool for discovery, rather than as a method for putting people into boxes, or as an excuse for behavior. The sixteen personality types which we use in our assessment are based on the well-known research of Carl Jung, Katharine C. Briggs, and Isabel Briggs Myers. Carl Jung first developed the theory that individuals each had a psychological type. He believed that there were two basic kinds of "functions" which humans used in their lives: how we take in information (how we "perceive" things), and how we make decisions. He believed that within these two categories, there were two opposite ways of functioning. We can perceive information via 1) our senses, or 2) our intuition. We can make decisions based on 1) objective logic, or 2) subjective feelings. Jung believed that we all use these four functions in our lives, but that each individual uses the different functions with a varying amount of success and frequency. He believed that we could identify an order of preference for these functions within individuals. The function which someone uses most frequently is their "dominant" function. The dominant function is supported by an auxiliary (2nd) function, tertiary (3rd) function, and inferior (4th) function. He asserted that individuals either "extraverted" or "introverted" their dominant function. He felt that the dominant function was so important, that it overshadowed all of the other functions in terms of defining personality type. Therefore, Jung defined eight personality types: #Extraverted Sensing (modern types: ESFP, ESTP) #Introverted Sensing (modern types: ISTJ, ISFJ) #Extraverted Intuition (modern types: ENFP, ENTP) #Introverted Intuition (modern types: INFJ, INTJ) #Extraverted Thinking (modern types: ESTJ, ENTJ) #Introverted Thinking (modern types: ISTP, INTP) #Extraverted Feeling (modern types: ESFJ, ENFJ) #Introverted Feeling (modern types: INFP, ISFP) Katharine Briggs expounded upon Jung's work, quietly working in silence and developing his theories further. But it was Katharine's daughter Isabel who was really responsible for making the work on Personality Types visible. Isabel, using her mother's work and Jung's work, asserted the importance of the auxiliary function working with the dominant function in defining Personality Type. While incorporating the auxiliary function into the picture, it became apparent that there was another distinctive preference which hadn't been defined by Jung: Judging and Perceiving. The developed theory today is that every individual has a primary mode of operation within four categories: #our flow of energy #how we take in information #how we prefer to make decisions #the basic day-to-day lifestyle that we prefer Within each of these categories, we "prefer" to be either: #Extraverted or Introverted #Sensing or iNtuitive #Thinking or Feeling #Judging or Perceiving We all naturally use one mode of operation within each category more easily and more frequently than we use the other mode of operation. So, we are said to "prefer" one function over the other. The combination of our four "preferences" defines our personality type. Although everybody functions across the entire spectrum of the preferences, each individual has a natural preference which leans in one direction or the other within the four categories. Our Flow of Energy defines how we receive the essential part of our stimulation. Do we receive it from within ourselves (I'ntroverted) or from external sources ('E'''xtraverted)? Is our dominant function focused externally or internally? The topic of how we '''Take in Information deals with our preferred method of taking in and absorbing information. Do we trust our five senses (S'ensing) to take in information, or do we rely on our instincts (i'N'''tuitive)? The third type of preference, how we prefer to '''Make Decisions, refers to whether we are prone to decide things based on logic and objective consideration (T'hinking), or based on our personal, subjective value systems ('F'''eeling). These first three preferences were the basis of Jung's theory of Personalty Types. Isabel Briggs Myers developed the theory of the fourth preference, which is concerned with how we deal with the external world on a '''Day-to-day Basis. Are we organized and purposeful, and more comfortable with scheduled, structured environments (J'udging), or are we flexible and diverse, and more comfortable with open, casual environments ('P'erceiving)? From a theoretical perspective, we know that if our highest Extraverted function is a Decision Making function, we prefer '''J'udging. If our highest Extraverted function is an Information Gathering function, we prefer 'P'erceiving. '''Personality Types Today The theory of Personality Types, as it stand today, contends that: An individual is either primarily E'xtraverted or '''I'ntroverted An individual is either primarily 'S'ensing or i'N'''tuitive An individual is either primarily '''T'hinking or 'F'eeling An individual is either primarily 'J'udging or 'P'erceiving The possible combinations of the basic preferences form 16 different Personality Types. This does not mean that all (or even most) individuals will fall strictly into one category or another. If we learn by applying this tool that we are primarily Extraverted, that does not mean that we don't also perform Introverted activities. We all function in all of these realms on a daily basis. As we grow and learn, most of us develop the ability to function well in realms which are not native to our basic personalities. In the trials and tribulations of life, we develop some areas of ourselves more throughly than other areas. With this in mind, it becomes clear that we cannot box individuals into prescribed formulas for behavior. However, we can identify our natural preferences, and learn about our natural strengths and weaknesses within that context. The theory of Personality Types contends that each of us has a natural preference which falls into one category or the other in each of these four areas, and that our native Personality Type indicates how we are likely to deal with different situations that life presents, and in which environments we are most comfortable. Learning about our Personality Type helps us to understand why certain areas in life come easily to us, and others are more of a struggle. Learning about other people's Personality Types help us to understand the most effective way to communicate with them, and how they function best. '''The Four Preferences 'Extraversion and Introversion' When we talk about "extraversion" and "introversion", we are distinguishing between the two worlds in which all of us live. There is a world inside ourselves, and a world outside ourselves. When we are dealing with the world outside of ourself, we are "extraverting". When we are inside our own minds, we are "introverting". We are extraverting when we: *Talk to other people *Listen to what someone is saying *Cook dinner, or make a cup of coffee *Work on a car We are introverting when we: *Read a book *Think about what we want to say or do *Are aware of how we feel *Think through a problem so that we understand it Within the context of personality typing, the important distinction is which world we live in more often. Do we define our life's direction externally or internally? Which world gives us our energy, and which do we perhaps find draining? 'Sensing and Intuition' The "SN" preference refers to how we gather information. We all need data on which to base our decisions. We gather data through our five senses. Jung contended that there are two distinct ways of perceiving the data that we gather. The "Sensing" preference absorbs data in a literal, concrete fashion. The "Intuitive" preference generates abstract possibilities from information that is gathered. We all use both Sensing and Intuition in our lives, but to different degrees of effectiveness and with different levels of comfort. We are Sensing when we: *Taste food *Notice a stoplight has changed *Memorize a speech *Follow steps in a plan We are Intuitive when we: *Come up with a new way of doing things *Think about future implications for a current action *Perceive underlying meaning in what people say or do *See the big picture Within the context of personality typing, the important distinction is which method of gathering information do we trust the most? Do we rely on our five senses and want concrete, practical data to work with? Or do we trust our intuitions without necessarily building upon a solid foundation of facts? 'Thinking and Feeling' When Jung studied human behavior, he noticed that people have the capability to make decisions based on two very different sets of criteria: Thinking and Feeling. When someone makes a decision that is based on logic and reason, they are operating in Thinking mode. When someone makes a decision that is based on their value system, or what they believe to be right, they are operating in Feeling mode. We all use both modes for making decisions, but we put more trust into one mode or the other. A "Thinker" makes decisions in a rational, logical, impartial manner, based on what they believe to be fair and correct by pre-defined rules of behavior. A "Feeler" makes decisions on the individual case, in a subjective manner based on what they believe to be right within their own value systems. We are making decisions in the Thinking mode when we: *Research a product via consumer reports, and buy the best one to meet our needs *Do "The Right Thing", whether or not we like it *Choose not to buy a blue shirt which we like, because we have two blue shirts *Establish guidelines to follow for performing tasks We are making decisions in the Feeling mode when we: *Decide to buy something because we like it *Refrain from telling someone something which we feel may upset them *Decide not to take a job because we don't like the work environment *Decide to move somewhere to be close to someone we care about Some decisions are made entirely by Thinking or Feelings processes. Most decisions involve some Thinking and some Feeling. Decisions that we find most difficult are those in which we have conflicts between our Thinking and Feeling sides. In these situations, our dominant preference will take over. Decisions which we find easy to make and feel good about are usually a result of being in sync with both our Feeling and Thinking sides. 'Judging and Perceiving' Judging and Perceiving preferences, within the context of personality types, refers to our attitude towards the external world, and how we live our lives on a day-to-day basis. People with the Judging preference want things to be neat, orderly and established. The Perceiving preference wants things to be flexible and spontaneous. Judgers want things settled, Perceivers want thing open-ended. We are using Judging when we: *Make a list of things to do *Schedule things in advance *Form and express judgments *Bring closure to an issue so that we can move on We are using Perceiving when we: *Postpone decisions to see what other options are available *Act spontaneously *Decide what to do as we do it, rather than forming a plan ahead of time *Do things at the last minute We all use both Judging and Perceiving as we live our day-to-day life. Within the context of personality type, the important distinction is which way of life do we lean towards, and are more comfortable with. The differences between Judging and Perceiving are probably the most marked differences of all the four preferences. People with strong Judging preferences might have a hard time accepting people with strong Perceiving preferences, and vice-versa. On the other hand, a "mixed" couple (one Perceiving and one Judging) can complement each other very well, if they have developed themselves enough to be able to accept each other's differences. Category:Archive Category:Content